Djinn
The Djinn, known also as the Tagani, are a humanoid race not native to the continent of Thir. Said to have originated from the mythical land of Elpelad, the djinn are known for their unique physiologies which are effects of an intricate curse cast on them by an Ohneki mage, Iaditse of Yakonka during the Grand War. Divided into the Salamids in Central Western Thir, the Gannaids in South-Western Thir and the Atamids in Eastern Thir, the djinn culture has dominated the western and central part of Thir ever since their arrival in the 11th century 1E. Physiology The djinn are very distinctive, mainly because of their outlandish skin colours and innate abilities to control various elements. All of this was caused by a botched curse that was meant to wipe the Tagani from Imye Thir's surface, but dissipated their bodies into small particles instead, turning them into literal dust. Despite the hardship, the Djinn perservered and managed to adapt, inventing ways to control their new volatile bodies. It's hard to describe a typical djinni because they come in a plethora of shapes, sizes and colours, owing mainly to the various types of Djinn that exist out there in the world - the main being the Marids (water djinn), Ifrits (fire djinn), Dao (earth djinn) and Rijads (wind djinn). History Tagani legends speak of the lost homeland of Elpelad (another spelling variations include Alpalad, Arparad and Erperad) that was struck by a cataclysm that caused the Djinn to migrate out of their continent and into Thir. While these are only legends, anthropologists, historians and archeologists all agree that the Djinn are not native to Thir; with the first waves of migrating Tagani people arriving on Western Thir's shorelines in the 11th century 1E, the blue-skinned people's new homeland was settled in a manner of decades. It's hard to say whether these travels were friendly and non-aggressive or if they were invasions into the locals' territory. The second half of the century saw the rise of the first djinn communities. The cities of Deas Malof, Deas Tajan and Tarambal, all located on Western Thir's coastline, served as safe havens for the still incoming djinn. These coastal cities and ports soon became the centers of power for the first Tagani kingdoms, like Tarambal or Ganmulaj. The constant waves of incoming djinn travelers would soon stop with the end of the century. By the beginning of the 12th century 1E, the djinn, already culturally divided between the Salamids and the Gannaids, would have subjugated the various local tribes and nation of Western Thir, slowly rising to dominate the subcontinent, both culturally and politically. The rise of the Gannaid Empire in 1998 1E was a breaking point in djinn history on Thir; during the subsequent century, the Empire managed to subjugate most of Western Thir, more or less unifying the subcontinent in terms of culture, language and religion. Like all things, however, the empire had to come to an end. That end happened with the Grand War that ended the First Era and resulted in the temporary evaporation of the djinn that was only fixed by the Encafal, a mysterious machine that bended laws of reality. Once returned, however, the djinn were divided into the elemental Marids, Ifrits, Rijads and Dao. The Gannaid Empire itself collapsed immediately after the disaster, giving way to a power vacuum that saw countless human chiefdoms and kingdoms rise and fall, contenting for the title of the Emperor of Western Thir. The djinn managed to build back their society, with the Atamids of Eastern Thir especially dominating politics of the Second Era. A few regional powers rose in Western Thir and have been embroiled in a fight with the human realms of the subcontinent ever since. Despite that, the djinn managed to retain their cultural and religious influence over the rest of Western Thir, with this impact remaining strong well into the Third Era. Society and culture